David Chalmers
Hot?off the digital presses, and a long eight months after it was announced at Baselworld 2015, comes the final reveal of?the new ‘TAG Heuer Connected’- the first attempt by a luxury Swiss brand to combine the worlds of traditional watchmaking with Silicon Valley tech. It’s no secret that the smartwatch space is becoming a crowded one, so TAG Heuer has come to market with a Taylor Swift-style #squadgoals win – Intel and Google are the technology key partners for the new Connected. If you’re going to go tech, your team couldn’t get any beefier, or better. Of course, this isn’t the first smartwatch to hit the market, but it’s the first one to be backed by the twin towers of Intel’s processing power and Google’s operating system.Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images.Haven’t We Met Before?TAG Heuer Connected SAR8A80.The first thing you notice about the Connected is that it looks like a watch. Meaning that you feel like you’re wearing a watch rather than a calculator or a Garmin running computer strapped to your wrist. The case is large (46mm) to allow for a legible screen, but to balance this out it’s?made from lightweight Grade 2 titanium. Fit and finish looks to be first rate, and it needs to be, because Apple has set the standard when it comes to quality smartwatch touch and feel.CustomisationWatch, Chronograph and Twin-Time.Smartwatches are all about customisation, and TAG Heuer hasn’t let us down offering three dial colours, seven strap colours and three dial “faces”- and that’s just the beginning. Other dial options will be added down the track- available of course from the Google Play App store. Expect to see TAG Heuer’s crew of global ambassadors designing their own dials for further personalisation. Below you see the Chronograph dial with the three colour “themes”- white, blue and black.White, Blue and Black chronograph dials.Tech CornerOK, you’ve seen the watch, but what can it actually do? Let’s flip the hood.?The Connected is an Android-Wear powered watch (working with both iPhone and Android phones) with an Intel Atom SOC (System on a Chip). Those of you who hate tech specs should look away now:1.5 in. transflective LTPS LCDRAM-?1GBStorage-?4GBBattery-?410mAhOther key features included are Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, built-in microphone, gyroscope, tilt-detection sensor and haptic engine. Telling you that the battery has “410 mAh” doesn’t help much with the obvious question about battery life- TAG Heuer says that with real-world use, you can expect a day from a single charge.In terms of functions, you can expect the following:GolfShot Pro (golf) and RaceChrono Pro (motor racing) apps to be provided freeGoogle Fit, Google Translate and OK Google voice activation are already onboarded4000 more native apps available for downloadPhoto by Rob Kim/Getty ImagesThe watch is controlled through the sapphire touch-screen and the digital crown. For example, when you are in chronograph mode, tapping the screen once starts timing, a second tap stops timing and a double-tap will reset the chronograph to zero.Live Shot from http://www.theverge /Trading in Your Smartwatch?TAG Heuer has taken a novel approach when it comes to the paradox of how a luxury brand can sell an ephemeral, technology-driven smartwatch by offering buyers a trade-in. After two years of ownership you will be able to trade-in your presumably obsolescent Smartwatch for a new Calibre 5 Carrera that has the same design. The price of the Calibre 5 replacement watch is locked in today and is the same as the initial outlay for ?the Connected.TAG Heuer Connected- Australian price and availabilitySpeaking of price, the TAG Heuer Connected will retail for $2000, and availability has yet to be confirmed. Though we’re expecting to see the watch on-sale in the next few days at TAG Heuer’s Australian boutiques.
09.11.15